Comparison of pharmacokinetic MRI and [F-18] fluorodeoxyglucose PET in thediagnosis of breast cancer: initial experience

It was the aim of this methodology-oriented clinical pilot study to compare the potential of dynamic MRI and 2-[F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) po sitron emission tomography (PET) for the detection and characterization of breast cancer. Fourteen women with suspicious breast lesions were examined. The MRI data were acquired with a turbo fast low-angle shot sequence and a nalyzed using a pharmacokinetic model. Emission data were detected in the s ensitive 3D modus, iteratively reconstructed, and superimposed onto corresp onding transmission images. In the 14 patients, 13 breast masses with a sus picious contrast enhancement and FDG uptake were detected. For these lesion s, no statistically significant correlation between evaluated MR and PET pa rameters was found. Of the 9 histologically confirmed carcinomas, 8 were co rrectly characterized with MRI and PET. Two inflammatory lesions were conco rdantly classified as cancer. Moreover, dynamic MRI yielded another false-p ositive finding. In 6 patients, PET detected occult lymph node and/or dista nt metastases. Although both functional imaging techniques provide independ ent tissue information, the results concerning the diagnosis of primary bre ast lesions were almost identical. An advantage of PET, however, is its abi lity to localize lymph node involvement and distant metastases as an integr al part of the examination.